Letter-spacing mechanism for typewriters



May 24, 1927.

1,629,623 o. A. l-loKANsoNY LETTER SPACING MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Nov. 2'; 1925 May 24, 1927. 1,629,623

O. A. HOKANSON LETTER SPACING MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Nov. 2, 1925 m 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented` May 24, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFICE.

OTTO A. HOKANSON, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WOODSTOCK TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, A CORIORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LETTER-SPACING MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS.

Application led November 2, 1925. Serial No. 66,140.

This invention relates to mechanism for effecting letter space movement in typewriting machine having power-actuated driving mechanism and has for its object the provision of mechanism of the class named which shall be of improved construction and operation and in which the letter space movementJ is controlled-by a member in the key board but effected by the power drive. 1

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.`

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view showing one form of letter space mechanism embodying the present invention;

' Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the switch mechanism for controlling the power opera-- tion of the typewriter; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view showing the switch mechanism of Fig.y 2 as viewed from the left in that figure.

The numeral 10 designates the frame of a typewriter having key vlevers 11 and type bars 12. A toothed `cylinder' 13 extends transversely of the typewriter frame and is journalled to rotate therein. Ajratchet wheel 14 is positioned outside of the right hand side plate of the typewriter frame as shown in Fig. 2 and is secured to the end of the cylinder 13. A solenoid 15 is mounted on the frame 10 and is provided with a plunger 16 having a pawl 17 pivoted thereon in position to engage the ratchet wheel 14. The electric circuit which energizes the mag net 15 is connected with a pair of contact members 18 and 19. The contact member 19 is carried on a lever 20 having a laterally projecting ear 21 and a downwardly projecting tail piece 22. A plate 23 is mounted to slide on the tail piece'22l and is urged downwardly by ka spring 24. Afstop 25 limits the'downward movement of the plate 23. The tail piece 22 ycarries a laterally proecting lug 26 which engages a lug 27 on the end of an arm 28. The arm 28 is secured to a rock shaft 29 which extends transversely of the typewriter frame and is ournalled therein. The shaft 29 has a bar 30 fixed thereto which engages the lower faces of contact members 31 carried on the key levers 11. A spring 32 connects the lug 21 with the arm 28 and holds the bar 30 against the contact members 31 and tends to rotate the lever 20 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. The lever 20 is normally held against rotation by the lug 27 but when a key lever is depressed the rockshaft 29 is moved to lift the projection 27 and free the lever 2O so that the contacts 18 and 19 are permitted to move into engagement and close the circuit of the solenoid y15. The lug 27 engages a projection 33r on the slide plate 23 and moves the projection upwardly by extending the spring 24. When the solenoid 15 is energized the ratchet wheel 14 and the toothed cylinder 13 will be given a limited amount of rotation. in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in the drawings. The

yplunger 16 is pivotally connected at 35 to a lever 36 pivotally attached at 37 on the frame 10. The lever 37 has an upwardly projecting arm -38 which moves into engagement with a pinl 39 projecting inwardly from the tail piece 22. This will rotate the lever 20 in a clockwise ydirection to separate the contacts 18 yand 19. The movementwill 'also free the slide plate 23 so that the vlug 33 will be moved by the spring 24-beneath the lug 27 thus retaining the contacts 18 and 19 in spaced relation. As soon as the'key lever is released the. lug 27 will slide from the projection .33 -onto the lug 26 so that the parts will be restored to their initial position. In ythis way, a depression of any key lever closes the circuit of the solenoid and effects limited rotation of the toothed cylinder 13. The circuit is automatically broken at the close of the movement of the solenoid. A lever 4() is provided for adjusting the position of the contact member 18 to control the period of contact between the points 18 and 19 andthus regulate the movement Yof the toothed cylinder 13. A switch 41 .is in- `levers 11 into engagement with the toothed cylinder 13 to actuate the type bars each time a key is depressed. The mechanism thus far described is similar to that shown in my prior application, Serial Number A letter space bar 42 is arranged at the front of the key board in the usual manner and is provided with a stop 43 for limiting ne j itsI upward moven'ient. The bar 42 is ca-rried on arms 44 which are secured to a shaft 45 journalled in the traine. rl`he member 46 is pivotally connected at 47 to an L-shaped link 48 which is pivotally connected at 49 to an arm 50 having a pivotalsupport 5l cna cross bar 52. The arm 50 has a nose piece 53 which engages theupper edge of the b ar 80. It will be seen that downward movement ot the space bar 42 will `tend to straighten the toggle termed by the link 48 and the arm 50 so as to move the pivot 49 into alignment with the pivot points 47 and 51. rlhis will depress the bar 30 and energize the solenoid l5 in the manner previously described. The arm 50 is provided with a contact member 53 which engages a projection 54V on the adjacent actuator 43 and. moves the vactuator into engagement with the toothed cylinder 18 so that when the cylinder is rotated by the solenoid 15 the actuator 43 will be moved forwardly. The actuator 43 corresponding` to the arm 50 is pivotally connected at 55 to an arm 56 pivotally mounted at 5l on thev cross bar 52. A. link 57 connects the arm 55 with an arm 58 secured to a shaft 59 journalled in brackets GO mounted on the cross bar 52. A link 6l extends rearwardly from the arm 58 andA is provided with a slot 62 which engages a pin 6301i a dog rocket 64 for controlling .the escapement wheel vG5 of the platen feed mechanism. It will be seen that-the slot 62w'ill permit the oscillation of the dog rocket 54 during the ordinary operation ot the typewriter but that the .dog rocket will also be operated when the space bar 42 isdepressed to energize the solenoidand move the link 6l forwardly through the movementof the actuator 43. The letter spacing operation is controlled by the space bar 4 2 but the energy 'tor etlecting the operation is furnished by the solenoid 15.

I claim t l. The combination with a typewriter having escapement mechanism, of electrically energized means for operating` said escapement mechanisnn a rock shaft journalled in the frame ot' said typewriter, arms projectinp forwardly from said rock shaft, a letter space bar supported on said arms, an arm extending upwardly trom said rock shaft, a pair of toggle links extending rearwardly from said upwardly projecting arm. and connected therewith, and' switch mechanism for controlling` said solenoid, said switch mechanisml being operated by said toggle links when said space bar is depressed. j

2. In a typewriter, a rotary toothed member, a solenoid, an electrical circuitffor energizing said solenoid, 4means operated by said solenoid when energized for impartinga limited rotary movement to said toothed member, letter spacing mechanism, an actnator movable into engagementwith said toothed member and operable by said toothed member for ymoving said letter space mechanism to etlect a single letter vspace movement of said typewriter, a letter space key, a rock shaft disposed adjacent the key board o't said typewriter and connected with said letter space key so .that depression of said letter space key ettects a partial rotation oi said. rockshaft, an arm connected with said rock shaft, av pair of toggle links, one of which is connected to saidarm, said toggle links extending rearwardly trom Caid arm and arranged to move downwardly when said rock shaft is operated, kand Vmeans operated by said toggle links for closing the circuit of said solenoid.

3. ln a'. typewriter'having type keysand letter space mechanism, a rotary toothed member, a solenoid for imparting limited rotary movement to said toothed member, an electric circuit for energizing saidsolenoid, an actuator for said letter space mechanism arranged to engage saidftoothed member, av horizontally extending pivoted ylink having means thereon Jfor moving said actuator into engagement with said toothed member, a rock shaft extending transversely of said typewriter adjacent the key yboard thereof, a space bar-for operating said rockshatt, means connecting said rock shaft and link to move said link and effect operative connection between said actuator and toothed member when said space bar isdepressed,` and meansoperated by said space bar tor closing sa'id 'solenoidcircuit subseqnentto the movementof said actuator into operative engagement with said toothed member.

l 4. .In a typewriter having type. keys and letter space mechanism, a rotary toothed member, an actuator for said letter space mechanism movable into engagement with said toothed member, a horizontally extending link pivoted adjacent its rear end and having means thereon tor moving said yactuator into engagement Awith said toothed member, a rock shaft extending transversely of said typewriter;'adjacent the key board thereof, van arm extending upwardly from said rock shaft, a second link connecting the forward end ot said first-named link with toggle in a bent position, a space bar for operating said rock shaft toystraighten said toggle and move said actuator' into engagement with saidl toothed member, a solenoid vfor operating said toothed member, a switch ttor controlling said solenoid, and means operated lby said toggle for closing saidfswitch subsequent to the movement of said actuator into engagement with said toothed member.

5. In a typewriter having type keys and letter space mechanism, a rotary toothed member, an actuator for said letter space mechanism movable into engagement with `said. toothed member, a space bar for moving said actuator, a Solenoid for imparting partial rotation to said toothed member, an electric circuit 'for energizing said solenoid, and switching mechanism operated by Said space .bar for closing Said circuit, Said switching mechanism comprising a pair of spaced contacts, a pivoted lever for support-ing one of said contacts, a spring tending to rotate said lever to close said contacts, a Xed and a movable stop on said lever, a detent normally engaging said fixed stop to hold said contacts open but movable out of engagement with said fixed stop when said space bar is depressed, said movable Stop being shit'table by'said detent when said detent is moved out of engagement with said fixed stop, means 'operated by said solenoid for engaging said lever to move said lever against the tension of the Spring thereon and clear said detent from said movable stop, and a spring for returning said movable stop into the path of said detent to prevent engagement of said contacts While said space bar is held in depressed position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my same to this specication on this 29th day of October, A. D. 1925.

OTTO A. HOKANSON. 

